Translated material
Vtimes can be closed due to the status of a foreign agent
VTIMES leaders are considering the option of closing the publication in the coming days. This was reported by RBC with reference to two sources close to the project. That such a scenario is really discussed was confirmed by RBC by one of the top managers of VTIMES.
The publication itself reported that the closing date is June 12. The editorial statement states that after included in the list of “media-foreigners” the Ministry of Justice, advertisers and partners refused to cooperate, and many officials, businessmen and analysts began to fear comments. “By our own example, we were convinced: the authorities do not need professional and uncontrolled media ... The label of the Ino -Agent destroyed the VTIMES business model - and we created this publication as a business,” the editorial office noted, adding that readers are not enough to finance the media.
VTIMES is a project of former Vedomosti employees who left the publication after it was headed by Andrei Shmarov. The editors accused him of censorship and publications in favor of Igor Sechin. In May, the Ministry of Justice included VTIMES in the register of the media - "foreign agents". At the same time, neither the VTIMES nor the Stichtber 2 Oktober fund (the administrator of the publication site is also included in the register - approx. C.r.) are not the media in any of the jurisdictions.
In April, the Ministry of Justice brought the Medusa publication to the register. The media editorial office reported that this jeopardizes her work and announced a fundraiser, as advertisers refused to cooperate with the publication.
- In 2012, the law on foreign agents began to operate in Russia. According to the document, any NPO or public movement can be included in the list of agents if they receive financial support from abroad and conduct political activities. At the same time, the criteria for which such activities are determined are not clearly defined in the law.
- The legislation on "foreign agents" in Russia is criticized by human rights activists who fall under it by organizations and other countries. The Russian authorities are recommended to abandon the term "foreign agent" and clearly determine the concept of "political activity" for NPOs.
- The “media - a foreign agent” can also recognize an individual who distributes the materials of the publication or legal entity recognized by a foreign agent, participates in their creation and receives foreign financing.
- The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation included five people in the register of "foreign media performing the functions of a foreign agent." Human rights activist Lev Ponomarev, activist Daria Apakhonchich, editor -in -chief of the Pskov province, Denis Kamalyagin, collaborating with Radio Liberty, journalists Lyudmila Savitskaya and Sergey Markelov fell into the register. The Ministry of Justice did not explain on what grounds he included five people in the register.